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Name	Modified	Size	InfoDownloads / Week
Parent folder
LISEZMOI.md	2026-03-12	46.8 kB	0
README.md	2026-03-12	40.6 kB	4
emcomm-tools-debian13-v2.1.2.iso	2026-03-12	5.4 GB	2
emcomm-tools-debian13-v2.1.1.iso	2026-03-11	5.3 GB	2
emcomm-tools-debian13-v2.1.0.iso	2026-03-07	5.0 GB	13
emcomm-tools-debian13-v2.0.9.iso	2026-03-05	6.4 GB	0
Totals: 6 Items		22.1 GB	21

EmComm-Tools — Emergency Communications for Ham Radio

Version 2.1.2 — March 2026 Debian 13 (Trixie) Live/Installable ISO

Français? Voir LISEZMOI.md pour la version française.

What's New in Version 2.1.2

Dashboard Mode Filtering by Radio Band

The dashboard now hides modes that are incompatible with the active radio's frequency bands. An IC-9700 (VHF/UHF only) no longer shows VARA HF or ARDOP modes. An IC-7300 (HF only) no longer shows VARA FM. All-band radios like the FT-991A or IC-705 continue to see every mode. DigiRig Lite and DigiRig Mobile (unknown radio) default to showing all modes.

Radio configs — Each radio JSON profile now declares its supported bands ("bands": ["HF", "VHF", "UHF"])
Mode configs — Band-specific modes declare their requirements ("requires_bands": ["HF"] for VARA HF/ARDOP, ["VHF", "UHF"] for VARA FM)
IPC filtering — The supervisor's list-modes command filters modes by the active radio's bands before returning results to the dashboard
Safety net — The mode engine also blocks incompatible modes at start time, even if called directly via IPC (bypassing the dashboard)
Graceful fallback — If the supervisor is not running, the dashboard shows all modes (same as previous behavior)
No restrictions on general-purpose modes — Fldigi, FT8, JS8Call, VarAC, Chattervox, Packet/BBS, APRS, and Direwolf TNC are always shown regardless of radio

Reliable VARA FM to HF Mode Switching

The 2.1.1 rigctld fixes were incomplete — switching from VARA FM to VARA HF still required physically unplugging and replugging the radio. Two root causes were found and fixed:

wrapper-rigctld.sh no longer deletes /dev/et-cat — The stop function was destroying the udev-created symlink, making rigctld restart impossible without a physical replug. It now only kills the rigctld process and leaves the symlink intact
Automatic rigctld restart after Wine modes — After stopping a Wine-based mode (VARA FM or VARA HF), the supervisor now restarts rigctld automatically, re-establishing the serial connection without unplugging the radio

Frequency Band Guard

The mode engine now checks the radio's current frequency before starting a band-specific mode. If the radio is tuned to an HF frequency and the user starts VARA FM (VHF/UHF), or vice versa, the mode is blocked with a bilingual error message showing the current band and required band. Prevents accidental mode starts on the wrong frequency.

Map Tile Downloader: USB Live Run Support

The tile downloader (ET-Predict Maps button) now detects Live Run mode and saves map tiles directly to the EMCOMM-DATA USB partition instead of tmpfs/RAM. Prevents memory exhaustion from large tileset downloads (500MB+) and ensures tiles survive reboot.

Storage indicator — Banner shows where tiles will be saved: green for USB, red if no USB detected, grey for local disk
Automatic symlinks — After downloading to USB, a symlink is created in the local tilesets directory so mbtileserver picks up the new tiles automatically
Download blocked without USB — In Live Run mode, downloads are blocked if no EMCOMM-DATA USB is found, with a bilingual error message

Icom IC-9700: VARA FM Radio Settings

Recommended IC-9700 menu settings for VARA FM operation with a DigiRig interface:

Setting	Value	Notes
CI-V Baud Rate	Auto	Menu > Set > Connectors > CI-V
CI-V USB Baud Rate	57600	Must match rigctld config
CI-V Address	A2	Default
CI-V Transceive	OFF	Prevents unsolicited data
CI-V USB Echo Back	OFF
USB (B) Function	DV Data
DATA Function	CI-V
DATA MOD	ACC	Audio from DATA jack (DigiRig)
ACC Send Output	144 ON, 430 ON	Enable audio output on both bands

PTT: Via RTS on the DigiRig serial port (COM5 in Wine). The supervisor auto-configures VARAFM.ini with the correct PTT port, RTS/DTR settings from the IC-9700 radio profile.

USB cable note: The IC-9700 uses Silicon Labs CP210x and creates two serial ports — port A (CI-V/CAT) and port B (data). EmComm-Tools' udev rules automatically assign /dev/et-cat to port A.

What's New in Version 2.1.1

VARA FM Mode: Full PTT Auto-Configuration

VARA FM mode now auto-configures PTT settings for all supported radios. No manual VARA FM INI editing needed — the supervisor reads PTT port, baud rate, DTR, and RTS from the radio JSON profile and writes VARAFM.ini before each launch. Supports DigiRig radios (COM10 mapping) and direct USB radios (COM5).

Clean VARA FM to HF Mode Switching

Switching from VARA FM back to HF modes (VARA HF, Winlink ARDOP, etc.) now works reliably without replugging the radio:

rigctld exec fix — wrapper-rigctld.sh now uses exec to replace the wrapper process with the actual rigctld binary. One process instead of two, so systemd can manage it cleanly
rigctld deadlock fix — The wrapper's stop() function was calling systemctl stop rigctld, creating a circular deadlock when the serial port was stuck after Wine/VARA FM. Now uses killall directly. Added ExecStop, TimeoutStopSec=5, and KillMode=process to the systemd unit
Wine-aware restart — The supervisor only restarts rigctld after kill-all when Wine was actually running (VARA FM/HF). Normal mode switches (JS8Call, WSJT-X, etc.) no longer trigger unnecessary rigctld restarts
Serial port recovery — After Wine releases the serial port, the supervisor waits for it to be free before restarting rigctld

VARA HF: Automatic Radio Filter Width

VARA HF mode now auto-sets the radio passband to 2750 Hz on mode start. Radios like the FT-891 and FT-991A default to narrow CW filter widths (500 Hz), which limits VARA HF performance. The supervisor reads the current mode from rigctld and sets the correct width via CAT command.

Download Maps from ET-Predict

New "Maps" button in ET-Predict opens a tile download popup (et-tile-downloader) where users can download additional map tilesets (Japan, Russia, Central America, etc.) without re-running the setup wizard. mbtileserver's --enable-fs-watch flag detects new tiles automatically — no restart needed.

ET-Predict 1.5.3

Maps download button — Opens tile downloader popup
Updated attribution — VA2OPS | KT7RUN The Tech Prepper | Pigeon Maps | Tracestrack contributors
Tile downloader config — Shared tiles.json catalog for both firstboot and tile downloader

Tile Naming Migration

Old osm-* tileset filenames are automatically renamed to the new tt-* naming convention. Both et-firstboot and et-tile-downloader detect and migrate files on startup, preventing duplicates.

Wallpaper HiDPI Fix

Fixed wallpaper rendering on HiDPI displays (Dell 4K at 2.5x, Toughpad at 1.25x). XFCE renders the wallpaper before display scaling kicks in, showing only the top-left portion. The new et-wallpaper-refresh script toggles the image-style after scaling is applied, forcing a correct re-render.

Winlink Password Preservation

Fixed an issue where saving user config to USB persistence could overwrite the Winlink password from the USB copy with an empty value. The save function now preserves the existing password from USB when the local config has no password set.

What's New in Version 2.1.0

Dashboard Performance: Zero Subprocess Polling

The dashboard status indicators now use pure Python instead of shelling out to external commands every 2 seconds. This eliminates all subprocess forks from the polling loop:

GPS — Event-driven flag file (/tmp/et-gps-connected) written by gpspipe wrapper, read with os.path.exists(). Replaces spawning gpspipe every 2 seconds
Radio name — json.load() reads active-radio.json directly. Replaces forking jq via et-system-info
CAT control — os.path.exists("/dev/et-cat") + rig ID from JSON. Replaces systemctl status rigctld subprocess
Audio device — os.path.exists("/dev/et-audio"). Replaces udevadm info subprocess
Bluetooth TNC — os.path.exists("/dev/rfcomm0"). Replaces et-system-info subprocess

Result: 5 subprocess forks every 2 seconds reduced to zero. The supervisor status was already IPC socket-based. Only the TNC mode (IP + port check) still uses shell commands, and only when TNC mode is active.

Supervisor Error Handling

IPC catch-all — The supervisor IPC server now catches all unhandled exceptions during command processing and returns an error response with a log entry. Previously, an uncaught exception would silently drop the connection, causing the dashboard to display a misleading "et-supervisor is not running" error
Detailed logging — Full Python traceback is logged to ~/.local/share/emcomm-tools/et-supervisor.log for easier debugging

Windows INI File Encoding Fix

Latin-1 support — VarAC and VARA INI files are now read and written with encoding="latin-1". VarAC.exe (running under Wine) writes INI files using Windows' default Latin-1/CP1252 encoding. Characters like "Français" contain bytes that are invalid in UTF-8, causing a crash when the supervisor tried to update VarAC.ini with callsign and radio settings. Any user who selected French in VarAC or entered accented characters in their name or QTH was affected

SourceForge Map Tiles

New tile source — SourceForge now hosts pre-built OpenStreetMap .mbtiles files for offline mapping. Tiles are available for Canada, USA, Europe, and World coverage at various zoom levels

European Map Coverage

EU maps — Added European map tile packages for offline use, extending coverage beyond the existing Canada, USA, and World tiles

Serial Port Readiness Check

rigctld startup guard — The wrapper-rigctld.sh script now waits for the serial port to be fully initialized before starting rigctld. On Live Run (USB), udev can trigger rigctld before the CP210x/FTDI kernel driver finishes initializing the tty, causing rigctld to enter a bad state where its TCP listener rejects all connections. The wrapper now probes the port with stty (up to 10 attempts, 0.5s apart) — no data is sent to the radio. On HDD installs the port is ready immediately (attempt 1)

ET-Predict 1.5.1

Updated ET-Predict propagation tool to version 1.5.1

What is EmComm-Tools?

EmComm-Tools is a Debian 13 (Trixie) live and installable Linux ISO purpose-built for ham radio emergency digital communications. It includes a complete suite of pre-configured digital mode software, offline maps, and a web-based dashboard for one-click operation. Two deployment modes: USB Live Run (boot any PC from a USB drive) or HDD install (permanent installation with Calamares). Bilingual English/French interface throughout. Created by Sylvain Deguire (VA2OPS), original concept by Gaston Gonzalez (KT7RUN).

Pre-Installed: Wine, VARA & VarAC

EmComm-Tools is the only ham radio Linux distribution that ships VARA and VarAC ready to run. No manual Wine configuration, no downloading installers, no troubleshooting DLL issues.

Wine 32-bit — Pre-configured .wine32 prefix, ready to launch Windows ham radio applications
VARA HF & VARA FM — High-performance modems pre-installed (included with permission from EA5HVK)
VarAC — HF chat client for VARA, pre-installed (Limited Distribution Agreement with 4Z1AC — license presented on first launch)
Complete vs Lite ISO — The build system offers both: the Complete ISO includes Wine/VARA/VarAC, the Lite ISO omits them for a smaller download
Zero configuration — VARA and VarAC launch from the Dashboard like any native Linux application

Bundled Software

Radio Control

Hamlib / rigctld — CAT control with udev auto-detection for 24+ radios
Direwolf — Software TNC (AX.25 packet modem)
Flrig — Rig control GUI

Winlink Email

Pat — Winlink client (custom EmComm-Tools build)
ARDOP modem — HF Winlink transport
VARA HF / VARA FM — High-performance Winlink modems (via Wine)

HF Chat

VarAC — HF chat client over VARA modem (via Wine)
Chattervox — Signed AX.25 text chat (built from source, EmComm-Tools fork)

APRS

YAAC — APRS client with mapping

BBS (Bulletin Board System)

LinBPQ — Packet BBS server with web admin interface
QtTermTCP — BBS terminal client
Paracon — BBS / Telnet terminal client

Digital Modes

WSJT-X — FT8, FT4, and other weak-signal modes
JS8Call — HF keyboard-to-keyboard messaging
JS8Spotter — JS8Call activity monitor
Fldigi / Flmsg / Flamp / Flwrap — Multi-mode digital suite (PSK, RTTY, CW, NBEMS)

Navit — Offline GPS turn-by-turn navigation with OpenStreetMap
MBTile server — Local map tile server for offline mapping
OpenStreetMap tiles — Pre-loadable offline map data

Offline Reference

Kiwix — Offline Wikipedia / encyclopedia reader
ZIM files — Downloadable offline content packages

HF Propagation

ET-Predict — HF propagation prediction with VOACAP engine and interactive offline maps, by KT7RUN

General Applications

QGIS — Geographic Information System
Thunderbird — Email client
Firefox ESR — Web browser
Audacity — Audio editor
GnuPG — Encryption and signing

System

Calamares — Graphical installer (live USB to HDD)
Auto-scaling — Automatic UI scaling for 7" to 10" screens

Operational Modes

The Dashboard provides 16 one-click operational modes:

Category	Mode	Description
Winlink	Winlink (VARA HF)	Email over VARA HF modem
Winlink	Winlink (VARA FM)	Email over VARA FM modem
Winlink	Winlink (Packet)	Email over AX.25 packet radio
Winlink	Winlink (ARDOP)	Email over ARDOP modem
Chat	JS8Call	HF keyboard messaging
Chat	VarAC	HF chat via VARA modem (Wine)
Chat	Fldigi	Multi-mode digital (SSB/CW/PSK/RTTY)
Chat	Chattervox	Signed packet text chat
Chat	Chattervox (BT)	Signed chat via Bluetooth TNC
BBS	BBS Client (Paracon)	Connect to packet/Telnet BBS
BBS	BBS Client (QtTermTCP)	Connect to packet BBS
BBS	BBS Server	LinBPQ server with web interface
APRS	APRS Client (YAAC)	Position tracking & messaging
APRS	APRS Client (BT)	APRS via Bluetooth TNC
Other	FT8/FT4 (WSJT-X)	Weak signal digital modes
Other	Direwolf KISS TNC	Network TNC on TCP 8001

Web Dashboard & Supervisor

One-click mode launch from an integrated web dashboard
Real-time status: process health, audio devices, CAT control, GPS, Bluetooth TNC
Automatic prechecks: callsign, audio devices, radio connection verified before launch
Modem selection: BBS modes prompt for modem type (1200/9600/300 baud, VARA HF, VARA FM)
Single supervisor daemon (et-supervisor) replaces 12 individual systemd services
Crash recovery with automatic retry (handles PulseAudio timing on USB Live Boot)
Clean shutdown: processes stopped in reverse order on mode switch
Bilingual EN/FR interface based on language preference

Persistence System

When running from USB, the persistence system saves and restores your complete environment:

User files: ~/Documents, ~/Downloads (rsync incremental sync)
Application configs: Pat Winlink, JS8Call, WSJT-X, Fldigi, VarAC, YAAC, Navit, Direwolf, Chattervox
Browser data: Firefox profile, Thunderbird (full profile compressed)
System settings: WiFi networks, Bluetooth pairings, active radio selection, VarAC license
Save & menu: Save & Reboot / Save & Shutdown / Save & Suspend with progress bar
Hardware restore: WiFi and Bluetooth configs restorable to HDD installs via et-restore-hw

Offline Capabilities

EmComm-Tools is designed to operate with no internet connection:

Navit — Offline GPS navigation with OpenStreetMap data
Kiwix — Offline Wikipedia and encyclopedia reader
MBTile server — Local map tile server for offline mapping
Offline patch system — USB-based updates with backup and rollback
ET-Predict — HF propagation prediction with VOACAP and offline maps (no internet needed)

Supported Radios

EmComm-Tools includes pre-configured radio profiles with udev auto-detection, rigctld integration, and documented setup notes for each model.

USB Direct (built-in USB serial)

Vendor	Model	Notes
BG2FX	FX-4CR	USB CAT + audio
Icom	IC-705	USB CAT + audio
Icom	IC-7100	USB CAT + audio
Icom	IC-7200	USB CAT + audio
Icom	IC-7300	USB CAT + audio, CP210x dual-port
Icom	IC-9700	USB CAT + audio, CP210x dual-port, VHF/UHF
QRP Labs	QMX	USB CAT
Xiegu	X6100	USB CAT + audio
Yaesu	FT-710	USB CAT + audio, CP2105 dual-port (best effort)
Yaesu	FT-891	Via DigiRig DR-891 interface
Yaesu	FT-991A	USB CAT + audio, CP2105 dual-port
Yaesu	FTX-1	USB audio + PTT only (no CAT — Yaesu has not published spec)

Via DigiRig Interface

These radios require an external DigiRig or DigiRig Lite sound card interface for audio and PTT.

Vendor	Model	Interface
Elecraft	KX-2	DigiRig Mobile
Lab599	TX-500MP	DigiRig Mobile
Xiegu	G90	DigiRig Mobile
Yaesu	FT-818ND	DigiRig Mobile
Yaesu	FT-857D	DigiRig Mobile
Yaesu	FT-897D	DigiRig Mobile
—	(Any radio)	DigiRig Mobile (no CAT)
—	(Any radio)	DigiRig Lite

Bluetooth TNC (KISS over Bluetooth)

These radios have a built-in hardware TNC and connect via Bluetooth serial (rfcomm). No sound card or Direwolf needed.

Vendor	Model	Modes
BTECH	UV-PRO	YAAC, Chattervox
Kenwood	TH-D74	YAAC, Chattervox
Kenwood	TH-D75	YAAC, Chattervox
VGC	VR-N76	YAAC, Chattervox

Persistence (introduced in 1.5.2)

When you boot EmComm-Tools from a USB drive, any changes you make — radio configurations, callsign settings, Winlink credentials, custom scripts, desktop preferences — are normally lost when you shut down. You start fresh every time.

Persistence changes that. Your entire user environment is saved to a dedicated partition on the USB drive (EMCOMM-DATA). The next time you boot, everything is exactly as you left it: your radio profiles, your Pat Winlink mailbox, your JS8Call settings, your bookmarks — everything.

Three Ways to Use Persistence

1. USB Live Boot (Primary Use Case)

Boot any PC from your USB drive and pick up right where you left off. Configure your station once, then carry it in your pocket. Plug it into any computer — your complete EmComm station is ready in minutes.

2. Backup Your Permanent Installation

Even if you run EmComm-Tools installed on a dedicated PC, you can export your entire configuration to a USB drive. If your main system fails during an emergency, boot from the USB on any available computer — your settings, credentials, and radio profiles are all there.

3. Migrate Between Devices

Setting up a new laptop or replacing a damaged Toughpad? Instead of reconfiguring everything from scratch, export your persistence data from the old device and import it on the new one. Your complete station configuration moves with you — callsign, radio profiles, Winlink setup, digital mode settings, everything transfers in one step.

Why This Matters for Emergency Communications

In a real emergency, you don't have time to reconfigure software. Persistence means your USB drive becomes a complete, portable EmComm station that works on any available hardware. Lose your laptop? Borrow any PC, plug in your USB, and you're back on the air with your full configuration.

Important: Choosing the Right Installation Method

Before proceeding, understand when to use USB boot versus permanent installation.

Permanent Installation (Recommended for Operations)

A dedicated PC or laptop with EmComm-Tools installed on the internal drive is always the best solution for serious emergency communications work.

Maximum reliability — No USB drive to fail, lose, or forget
Full performance — Native disk speed, no USB bottleneck
Persistence built-in — All configurations saved automatically
Ready when needed — Power on and operate immediately
Professional deployments — Field hospitals, EOCs, shelters

Use permanent installation when:

Operating a fixed EmComm station
Running 24/7 BBS or gateway services
Supporting critical emergency operations
Maximum reliability is essential

USB Boot with Ventoy (Recommended for Testing & Backup)

USB boot is ideal for testing, training, demonstrations, and as a backup deployment option.

Rapid testing — Try new ISO builds without touching your main system
Portability — Carry EmComm-Tools in your pocket
Multi-boot — Keep multiple ISO versions on one drive
Emergency backup — Boot any available PC in a crisis
Training — Let students practice without permanent changes

Use USB boot when:

Testing new ISO releases before deployment
Training new operators
Demonstrating EmComm-Tools at events
Backup option when primary system fails
Temporarily converting any PC to an EmComm station

USB Speed Matters: Use a USB 3.x drive for Live Boot. USB 2.0 drives cause noticeably slower boot times, application launches, and persistence save/restore operations. A quality USB 3.0+ drive on a USB 3.0 port makes a significant difference in overall responsiveness.

Standard USB Boot (Quick Method)

The simplest way to create a bootable USB is to write the ISO directly to a drive. This is the recommended method for most users who just need to boot or install EmComm-Tools.

The only software you need is a USB boot creator. Here are the most reliable options by platform:

Windows

Rufus — Fast, reliable, open-source. The gold standard for Windows. rufus.ie
balenaEtcher — Simple 3-step process, validates writes, cross-platform. etcher.balena.io
Ventoy — Multi-boot capable, put multiple ISOs on one USB. ventoy.net

macOS

balenaEtcher — Best choice for Mac, simple, reliable, native app. etcher.balena.io
UNetbootin — Cross-platform, works well for Linux ISOs. unetbootin.github.io
dd (Terminal) — Built-in, powerful but requires care. sudo dd if=image.iso of=/dev/diskN bs=4M

Linux

balenaEtcher — Same simple interface as other platforms. AppImage available.
Ventoy — Install once, then just copy ISO files to USB. ventoy.net
GNOME Disks — Built into most GNOME desktops, "Restore Disk Image" feature. Pre-installed.
dd — Classic Unix tool, fast and reliable. sudo dd if=image.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

Recommendation

For beginners: balenaEtcher — Works on all platforms, impossible to accidentally overwrite your hard drive, validates the write.

For advanced users: Ventoy — Install it once on your USB drive, then simply copy ISO files to it. You can have EmComm-Tools, a Windows installer, and system rescue tools all on one USB. See the detailed Ventoy guide below.

Why Ventoy? The Recommended USB Strategy

Traditional USB boot methods (dd, Rufus, balenaEtcher) write the ISO directly to the drive, which has significant limitations.

Traditional vs Ventoy:

One ISO per drive → Multiple ISOs on same drive
Must reflash entire drive for updates → Just copy/delete ISO files
All drive space used for boot → Dedicated data partition available
Data lost with each reflash → Data partition survives ISO updates
Complex process each time → Simple file copy operation

The Ventoy Advantage

Ventoy transforms your USB drive into a boot manager that can launch any ISO file simply by copying it to the drive. This is revolutionary for EmComm-Tools users:

Test new builds instantly — Download a new EmComm-Tools ISO, copy it to USB, reboot. No reflashing, no data loss.
Keep multiple versions — Maintain the current stable release alongside beta versions for testing.
Separate boot from data — Your maps, Wikipedia ZIM files, and configurations live on a separate partition that survives ISO updates.
Emergency flexibility — In a real emergency, boot the proven stable ISO. For testing, try the latest build.

Partition Strategy Overview

This guide creates a USB drive optimized for EmComm-Tools with the following layout:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    64 GB USB Drive Layout                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│  ┌─────────────────┐  ┌──────┐  ┌────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │  EMCOMM-ISO     │  │ EFI  │  │        EMCOMM-DATA             │  │
│  │    ~12 GB       │  │ 32MB │  │          ~46 GB                │  │
│  │                 │  │      │  │                                │  │
│  │  • ISO files    │  │ Boot │  │  • Maps (.mbtiles)             │  │
│  │  • Ventoy       │  │ sys  │  │  • Wikipedia (.zim)            │  │
│  │                 │  │      │  │  • Documents                   │  │
│  │  exFAT          │  │FAT16 │  │  • Config backups              │  │
│  └─────────────────┘  └──────┘  └────────────────────────────────┘  │
│       Partition 1      Part 2           Partition 3                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Partition 1 — EMCOMM-ISO, ~12 GB, exFAT — Bootable ISOs via Ventoy
Partition 2 — (EFI), 32 MB, FAT16 — Boot system (automatic)
Partition 3 — EMCOMM-DATA, ~46 GB, ext4/exFAT — Maps, ZIM files, offline data

Why This Layout?

ISO partition sized for multiple versions — 12 GB holds 3-4 EmComm-Tools ISOs
Data partition maximized — Maps and Wikipedia files can be several gigabytes each
Cross-platform compatible — exFAT on boot partition works with Windows/Mac/Linux
Linux-optimized data — ext4 provides better reliability (or exFAT if Windows access needed)

Prerequisites

64 GB (or larger) USB drive
EmComm-Tools ISO file
Administrator/root access

WARNING: This process will erase all data on the USB drive. Back up any important files first!

Step 1: Download Ventoy

Download the latest Ventoy release:

Official website: https://ventoy.net
GitHub: https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases

Downloads:

Windows: ventoy-x.x.xx-windows.zip
Linux: ventoy-x.x.xx-linux.tar.gz
macOS: See macOS section below

Step 2: Identify Your USB Drive

CRITICAL: Identifying the correct drive is essential. Using the wrong device will destroy data on that device!

Windows

Open Disk Management (press Win + X, select "Disk Management")
Locate your USB drive by size (~58 GB for a 64 GB drive)
Note the disk number (e.g., "Disk 2")

Or use Command Prompt:

diskpart
list disk
exit

Linux

lsblk

Look for your USB drive by size. It will typically be /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc.

NAME   SIZE TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda    500G disk
├─sda1 512M part /boot/efi
└─sda2 499G part /
sdb   58.2G disk              ← Your 64 GB USB
└─sdb1 58.2G part /media/user/USB

macOS

diskutil list

Look for your USB drive (e.g., /dev/disk2). Verify by size (~58 GB for 64 GB drive).

Step 3: Back Up Existing Data

If your USB drive contains important data, copy it to a safe location first.

Windows

Use File Explorer to copy files to your computer.

Linux

mkdir -p ~/usb-backup
cp -av /media/$USER/YOUR_USB/* ~/usb-backup/

macOS

mkdir -p ~/usb-backup
cp -av /Volumes/YOUR_USB/* ~/usb-backup/

Step 4: Install Ventoy

Windows

Extract ventoy-x.x.xx-windows.zip
Run Ventoy2Disk.exe as Administrator
Select your USB drive from the dropdown menu
Click Options → Partition Configuration
Check "Preserve some space at the end of the disk"
Enter 47000 MB (47 GB for your data partition)
Click Install
Confirm the warning (this will erase the drive)
Wait for completion

Linux

Extract and navigate to Ventoy:

cd ~/Downloads
tar -xzf ventoy-x.x.xx-linux.tar.gz
cd ventoy-x.x.xx

Unmount the USB drive:

sudo umount /dev/sdb1 2>/dev/null
sudo umount /dev/sdb2 2>/dev/null

(Optional) Wipe existing partition table:

sudo wipefs -a /dev/sdb

Install Ventoy with reserved space for data partition:

sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i -g -r 47000 /dev/sdb

Options explained:

-i : Install Ventoy
-g : Use GPT partition table (recommended for UEFI)
-r 47000 : Reserve 47000 MB (47 GB) for data partition
Confirm with y when prompted.

Example output:

Ventoy: /dev/sdb will be formatted as GPT style.
Reserve 47000 MB disk space at the end of the disk.
Disk: /dev/sdb Size: 58.2 GB
Partition Style: GPT
Install Ventoy to /dev/sdb? (y/n) y
...
Install Ventoy to /dev/sdb successfully finished.

macOS

Ventoy does not have a native macOS GUI. Use one of these methods:

Option A: Boot into a Linux environment (VM or Live USB) and follow Linux instructions.

Option B: Use the Ventoy Web UI (experimental):

cd ventoy-x.x.xx
sudo ./VentoyWeb.sh

Then open http://127.0.0.1:24680 in your browser.

Option C: Prepare the USB drive on a Windows or Linux computer.

Step 5: Create the EMCOMM-DATA Partition

After Ventoy installation, you'll have two partitions and a block of free space at the end of the drive:

sdb1: Ventoy boot partition (~12 GB, exFAT)
sdb2: EFI system partition (32 MB, FAT16)
Free space: ~47 GB — no partition exists yet!

You must create a new partition in that free space and then format it. Simply running mkfs won't work — the partition must be created first.

Windows

Open Disk Management (press Win + X, select "Disk Management")
Find your USB drive — you'll see the Ventoy partitions and an Unallocated block
Right-click the Unallocated space → New Simple Volume
Click Next, use all available space
Assign a drive letter, click Next
Format as exFAT, volume label: EMCOMM-DATA
Click Finish

Linux — GNOME Disks (Recommended)

GNOME Disks is the easiest way to create the partition on Linux. It is pre-installed on most desktops including EmComm-Tools.

Open Disks from the application menu (or run gnome-disks in a terminal)
Select your USB drive in the left panel (identify it by size, e.g. 64 GB)
You'll see a visual bar showing the partitions. Look for the large block of Free Space at the end (~47 GB)
Click on the Free Space block to select it
Click the + (plus) button below the partition bar
In the dialog that appears:
Partition Size: Use the full available space (default)
Volume Name: EMCOMM-DATA
Type: Select Ext4 (recommended) or Other → exFAT if you need Windows access
Click Create
The partition is created and formatted — you're done!

Linux — Command Line (Alternative)

If you prefer the command line, use these two steps — first create the partition, then format it:

# Step 1: Create partition 3 in the free space
sudo sgdisk -n 3:0:0 -t 3:8300 -c 3:"EMCOMM-DATA" /dev/sdb

# Step 2: Format as ext4 (recommended)
sudo mkfs.ext4 -L EMCOMM-DATA /dev/sdb3

Options explained:

sgdisk -n 3:0:0 : Create partition 3 using all remaining space
-t 3:8300 : Set type to Linux filesystem
-c 3:"EMCOMM-DATA" : Set the partition name

For exFAT (if you need Windows access):

sudo mkfs.exfat -n EMCOMM-DATA /dev/sdb3

Verify the final layout:

lsblk /dev/sdb

NAME   SIZE TYPE
sdb   58.2G disk
├─sdb1 12.3G part    ← Ventoy (EMCOMM-ISO)
├─sdb2   32M part    ← EFI
└─sdb3 45.9G part    ← EMCOMM-DATA (new!)

Important: After creating the partition, set ownership so your user can write to it:

# Mount, set ownership, then it's ready to use
sudo mount /dev/sdb3 /mnt
sudo chown $USER:$USER /mnt
sudo umount /mnt

macOS

Open Disk Utility
Select your USB drive in the sidebar
Click Partition
Click the + button to add a partition in the free space
Name: EMCOMM-DATA
Format: ExFAT
Click Apply

Step 6: Rename Ventoy Partition (Optional)

Rename "Ventoy" to "EMCOMM-ISO" for clarity:

Windows

Right-click the Ventoy drive in File Explorer → Rename → EMCOMM-ISO

Linux

sudo umount /dev/sdb1
sudo exfatlabel /dev/sdb1 EMCOMM-ISO

macOS

Right-click in Finder → Rename

Step 7: Copy Your Files

Copy EmComm-Tools ISO to Boot Partition

Simply copy your ISO file to the EMCOMM-ISO partition:

Windows / macOS: Drag and drop the ISO file using File Explorer / Finder.

Linux:

cp emcomm-tools-debian.iso /media/$USER/EMCOMM-ISO/

Pro tip: You can keep multiple ISOs on the same partition. Ventoy will show a menu to choose which one to boot.

Copy Data Files to Data Partition

Copy your maps, ZIM files, and other offline resources to EMCOMM-DATA.

Recommended folder structure:

EMCOMM-DATA/
├── Maps/
│   ├── osm-ca-zoom0to10-20251120.mbtiles
│   ├── osm-us-zoom0to11-20251120.mbtiles
│   └── osm-world-zoom0to7-20251121.mbtiles
├── Wikipedia/
│   ├── wikipedia_en_simple_all_nopic.zim
│   ├── wikipedia_en_medicine_nopic.zim
│   └── wikipedia_fr_simple_all_nopic.zim
├── Documents/
│   ├── emergency-procedures.pdf
│   └── frequency-plans.pdf
├── HamRadioEncyclopedia/
│   └── ham-radio-encyclopedia.zim
└── Backups/
    └── config-backup.tar.gz

Step 8: Boot from USB

Insert the USB drive into your computer
Restart and enter the boot menu:
Common keys: F12, F2, F10, ESC, or DEL (varies by manufacturer)
Mac: Hold Option key during startup
Select your USB drive from the boot menu
Ventoy will display a menu of available ISOs
Select your EmComm-Tools ISO and press Enter

BIOS/UEFI Settings

If USB boot doesn't work, check these settings:

Secure Boot — Disabled
Boot Mode — UEFI (or try Legacy/CSM)
Fast Boot — Disabled
USB Boot — Enabled

Updating Your ISO

One of the biggest advantages of Ventoy: to test a new ISO build, simply:

Delete the old ISO from EMCOMM-ISO (optional — you can keep both)
Copy the new ISO to EMCOMM-ISO
Reboot and select the new ISO from Ventoy menu

Your data on EMCOMM-DATA remains untouched!

Updating Ventoy

To update Ventoy without losing your ISOs or data:

Windows

Run the new Ventoy2Disk.exe
Select your USB drive
Click Update (not Install)

Linux

cd ventoy-x.x.xx
sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -u /dev/sdb

Linking Data Partition to EmComm-Tools

When booted into EmComm-Tools, you can create symlinks to use data from your USB data partition:

# Mount the data partition (if not auto-mounted)
sudo mount /dev/sdb3 /mnt/usb-data

# Create symlinks to map files
ln -s /mnt/usb-data/Maps/*.mbtiles ~/.local/share/emcomm-tools/mbtileserver/tilesets/

# Create symlinks to Wikipedia files
ln -s /mnt/usb-data/Wikipedia/*.zim ~/wikipedia/

Note: The exact device name may vary. Use lsblk to identify the correct partition.

Troubleshooting

USB drive not showing in boot menu

Ensure Secure Boot is disabled in BIOS/UEFI settings
Try both UEFI and Legacy boot modes
Some older systems may require MBR instead of GPT

"Logical sector size is zero" error when renaming

The partition is exFAT, not FAT32
Use exfatlabel instead of fatlabel

ISO won't boot

Verify the ISO is not corrupted (check SHA256 hash)
Try Ventoy's "memdisk" mode: Press F1 in Ventoy menu, select memdisk
Check Ventoy documentation for any ISO-specific requirements

Partition not recognized after creation

Unplug and replug the USB drive
On Linux, run: sudo partprobe /dev/sdb

Slow performance

USB 3.0 drives in USB 3.0 ports perform significantly better
Consider a high-quality USB drive rated for sustained read/write speeds
For critical operations, permanent installation is recommended

MBR alternative for older systems:

sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i -r 47000 /dev/sdb  # Without -g

exFAT label fix:

sudo exfatlabel /dev/sdb1 EMCOMM-ISO

Quick Reference

Linux Commands Summary

# Identify USB drive
lsblk

# Install Ventoy (64 GB drive)
sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i -g -r 47000 /dev/sdb

# Create data partition
sudo sgdisk -n 3:0:0 -t 3:8300 -c 3:"EMCOMM-DATA" /dev/sdb

# Format data partition ext4
sudo mkfs.ext4 -L EMCOMM-DATA /dev/sdb3

# Set ownership
sudo mount /dev/sdb3 /mnt && sudo chown $USER:$USER /mnt && sudo umount /mnt

# Rename Ventoy partition
sudo exfatlabel /dev/sdb1 EMCOMM-ISO

# Copy ISO
cp emcomm-tools.iso /media/$USER/EMCOMM-ISO/

# Update Ventoy
sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -u /dev/sdb

Final Partition Layout

/dev/sdb (64 GB USB Drive)
├── sdb1  EMCOMM-ISO  ~12 GB  exFAT   [Ventoy + ISOs]
├── sdb2  (EFI)        ~32 MB  FAT16   [Boot system]
└── sdb3  EMCOMM-DATA  ~46 GB  ext4    [Data]

Summary: When to Use What

Primary EmComm station → Permanent installation on dedicated hardware
24/7 BBS or gateway → Permanent installation
Testing new ISO builds → USB with Ventoy
Training sessions → USB with Ventoy
Demonstrations → USB with Ventoy
Backup deployment → USB with Ventoy
Emergency field deployment → Either — USB = flexibility, Permanent = reliability

Remember: A well-maintained USB boot drive is an excellent backup, but a dedicated EmComm computer with permanent installation remains the gold standard for serious emergency communications work.

Resources

VA2OPS: https://va2ops.ca
Support the Project: https://buymeacoffee.com/emcommtools
EmComm-Tools Project: https://emcomm-tools.ca
Ventoy Official Site: https://ventoy.net
Ventoy GitHub: https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy
Ventoy Documentation: https://ventoy.net/en/doc_news.html

Document version: 2.1.2 Last updated: March 2026 Created for EmComm-Tools Debian Edition

Source: README.md, updated 2026-03-12

emcomm-tools Files

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EmComm-Tools — Emergency Communications for Ham Radio

What's New in Version 2.1.2

Dashboard Mode Filtering by Radio Band

Reliable VARA FM to HF Mode Switching

Frequency Band Guard

Map Tile Downloader: USB Live Run Support

Icom IC-9700: VARA FM Radio Settings

What's New in Version 2.1.1

VARA FM Mode: Full PTT Auto-Configuration

Clean VARA FM to HF Mode Switching

VARA HF: Automatic Radio Filter Width

Download Maps from ET-Predict

ET-Predict 1.5.3

Tile Naming Migration

Wallpaper HiDPI Fix

Winlink Password Preservation

What's New in Version 2.1.0

Dashboard Performance: Zero Subprocess Polling

Supervisor Error Handling

Windows INI File Encoding Fix

SourceForge Map Tiles

European Map Coverage

Serial Port Readiness Check

ET-Predict 1.5.1

What is EmComm-Tools?

Pre-Installed: Wine, VARA & VarAC

Bundled Software

Radio Control

Winlink Email

HF Chat

APRS

BBS (Bulletin Board System)

Digital Modes

Mapping & Navigation

Offline Reference

HF Propagation

General Applications

System

Operational Modes

Web Dashboard & Supervisor

Persistence System

Offline Capabilities

Supported Radios

USB Direct (built-in USB serial)

Via DigiRig Interface

Bluetooth TNC (KISS over Bluetooth)

Persistence (introduced in 1.5.2)

Three Ways to Use Persistence

Why This Matters for Emergency Communications

Important: Choosing the Right Installation Method

Permanent Installation (Recommended for Operations)

USB Boot with Ventoy (Recommended for Testing & Backup)

Standard USB Boot (Quick Method)

Windows

macOS

Linux

Recommendation

Why Ventoy? The Recommended USB Strategy

The Ventoy Advantage

Partition Strategy Overview

Why This Layout?

Prerequisites

Step 1: Download Ventoy

Step 2: Identify Your USB Drive

Windows

Linux

macOS

Step 3: Back Up Existing Data

Windows

Linux

macOS

Step 4: Install Ventoy

Windows

Linux

macOS

Step 5: Create the EMCOMM-DATA Partition

Windows

Linux — GNOME Disks (Recommended)